Maghaberry Prison

Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	I wish to announce that with effect from 31 March 2004, in accordance with the powers conferred on me by Rule 5(l) of the Prisons and Young Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland) 1995, that part of Maghaberry Prison site, formally the site of Maze Prison, is removed from within the boundaries of Maghaberry Prison. The area to be removed is indicated on the site map, which I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses, by the words "area to be removed from the site of Maghaberry Prison".

Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland: Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 2002–03

Baroness Amos: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland annual report and statement of accounts for 2002–03 has been deposited in the Library of the House today.

Defence Housing

Lord Bach: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I announced in July 2003 that the Ministry of Defence was conducting a business process review of the management and delivery of defence housing (2 July 2003, Official Report col. 20WS). The review has been completed and I have placed a copy of the final report in the Library of the House.
	This work has been part of a co-ordinated approach to the future direction of defence housing. It supports detailed work to improve accommodation through the defence housing strategy which, as set out in the defence White Paper supporting essays, will direct the future provision of housing for Service personnel and their families worldwide. It also takes forward work from earlier internal and cross-departmental studies. The review has focused primarily on delivery and management of defence housing in mainland UK, but it includes recommendations on our living accommodation overseas that might be considered in the future.
	The main conclusions were that some improvement could be made to the processes involved with the management and delivery of defence housing. It was also recognised that we could benefit from the synergies within Defence Estates (DE) and the Defence Housing Executive (DHE). A number of recommendations have been made to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the processes and organisations involved in delivery of defence housing, the most significant of which are:
	DHE and DE will merge from 1 April 2004. Initially DHE will be absorbed into DE as a self-contained business unit but over time head office processes will be merged.
	The chief executive of DE will become responsible for the delivery of defence housing in mainland UK.
	To protect the interests of Service personnel and their families a dedicated housing customer care function will be maintained within DE with suitable governance arrangements.
	Initiatives to improve customer care, particularly the housing prime contract for England and Wales, will continue.

Arm's Length Bodies

Lord Warner: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.
	Three new regulatory bodies, which will operate at arm's length from the department, come into being on 1 April: the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI), the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), and the Office of the Independent Regulator (OIR). The inception of these new bodies will change the department's role in the provision and inspection of healthcare and social services. The effects that this will have on accountability arrangements are set out below.
	The role of the OIR is to authorise, monitor and regulate National Health Service foundation trusts (NHSFTs). The independent regulator is directly accountable to Parliament, and the department will not be able to comment on the details of the OIR's day-to-day management. For any questions that might arise in this area, we would provide information on the independent regulator's behalf, but not directly.
	NHSFTs are themselves independent of the department, and are directly accountable to their local populations and to Parliament. Because of this independent status, and NHSFTs' separate and local route of accountability, we will no longer be in a position to comment on, or provide information about, the detail of operational management within such trusts. Any such questions will be referred to the relevant NHSFT chairman.
	Notwithstanding these changes, matters of national policy (including the statutory framework for the NHS, and its resources, standards and targets) will of course remain the responsibility of the department. We will therefore continue to respond directly on these issues. We will also continue to respond directly on the services commissioned by the NHS locally, as these remain the responsibility of primary care trusts.
	As with the OIR, CHAI and CSCI are independent of the department. We will therefore provide information to Members on behalf of these bodies about their activities, but not directly. One area of their operations warrants particular notice. The department has traditionally responded directly to parliamentary business on the performance star ratings system. From 1 April, it will be CHAI's and CSCI's responsibility to devise the form of performance ratings, and their criteria and methodology. The department will approve the criteria devised.

NHS Charges: Income-based Help

Lord Warner: My honourable friend the Minister of State (Ms Rosie Winterton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.
	We have laid before the House regulations to increase the income level at which people are entitled to full remission of National Health Service charges, payment of travel costs, National Health Service sight tests and optical vouchers, that is full help through the National Health Service low income scheme. Currently, people are entitled to full help through this scheme when their income is equal to, or less than, their requirements. From 6 April 2004, people will be entitled to full help if their income exceeds their requirements by up to 50 per cent of the prescription charge. This will mean that people whose income is only marginally above income support level will now be entitled to full help.
	Entitlements to income-based help with health costs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.